Grizzel Civil War Letters Calhoun County, MS

W.C. Grizzel Letters

transcribed and submitted by Michael Caviness

The below letters are from W.C. Grizzell to his family and friends during the Civil War. I will type them spelling the words as he has. My opinion as to what some words may be will be enclosed in brackets [ ]. Also I have typed names of people in bold text. It appears that he may not have actually written all the letters himself due to the fact that the handwriting varies among the letters.

The State of Miss. Yalabusha County Sept 1st, 1861

Dear wife and children. I take the opportinity of writing you a few line to in form you that i am well at this time hopping this may find you all injoying the same blessing of god. i have nothing of importance to write only we reached our camp safe that eavning i left home. we are camped 1 one mile below Grenada wright on the Rail Road in a butiful old ____?. We were mustard in to service yesterday by Mr. Clate. thair is about 15 company in camp hear. Reckon thair is some few cases of measels hear though none in our company. thair was one man disobeyed the guard and thay shot him in the thy [thigh] though it is not dangerous. i dont know when i can come home though i will come when i get the chance. i cant writ mutch for i have to go on guard in a few minutes. i want you to writ to me gest as soon as you can. so no more at present.
W.C. Grizzell
To Elizabeth Grizzell and family
Direct your letters to Grenada
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September the 14th 1861 Dear wife i take the opportunity of writing you a few lines to in form you that i got to the camps safe this eavning. i wanto you to fix my cloes up as soon as you can. our Jeneral West is gone to Jackson on request of govner Pettus and our captin thinks we will go to leave hear in ten day and i send you good by. if we dont start in that time i will come up and see you all if i can get the chance. if i dont i want you to take good cear of you self and the children and i want you and every one to pray for me and i will try to do the best i can for my self. if dont feel that i am in danger. i leave you all in hopes that i will meet you all once more. i write this in tears. i want you to let pap know this and tell him to come down next week and if have got any thing ready send it to me by Jack Maxy as he comes back. i want you to write to me and send it by Maxey and if you dont i want you to send it by mail. i want to hear from you. i want you to look over my bad writing for i have got my mind full. Elizabeth i want you to ceep that poetry that i giv you this morning so good by.
W.C. Grizzel To Mrs. Elizabeth Grizzel and the children
i want you to write to me sertin
W.C. Grizzel

[NOTE-Co F had a M.J. Maxey from Coffeeville, MS and a J.J. Maxey from Tippah, MS]
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The State of Tenissee Stuart County November the 4th 1861 Deare wife and children friends and connection i this morning have the opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that i am well and hoping this reach you and find you all enjoying the same blessing of god. i received your letter that was wrote on the 19th of October and it gave me grate satisfacton to hear from you though i was mity sorry to hear that my sweet little babe was sick though i hope that he is well by this time. when i got your letter i got one from pap and he said that mother was worse again and i tride to get a furlow but the curnel said that he could not let me go at this time for he thought that thair was a chance for a fite in a few days and he wanted evry one to be at his post. i dont see what good we could ___ [do] in a fite for we have not got our guns yet. thair is 3 companys in our ridgement that has got guns and that is all. we are at Fort henry on the tenissee river 40 miles _____ paduca. thair is one ridgement at the fort besides us. thay are well armed with muscets and thay have got 6 32 pounders and 2 12 pounders and 1 6 pounder and thay think that thay can stand thair hand [or land] with the gun boats. thair was one gun boat come up in site this Day was three weeks ago and thay shot one gun at her from the fort and she went back with out shooting at us. i wrote you a letter and sent it by mart _____ [reagan?] and i wrote to you that we had a company made up to go over to dover but we did not get off. we heard it was pretty bad on our side though it was not so bas as we heard. thay only kiled 2 of our men and our men kiled ___ [8?] of thair men. when i got that letter from you it pleased me more than any thing i have seen or heard since i have bin in camps and i want you to write to me constant and if will do the same by you for that is all the satisfaction that we can have now. i want you and all the ballance of the connection to write to me and when you write to me dont pray [pay] for the better [letter] for if you do it will never come and when i write to you i will do the same. be sure to write soon. i wrote aletter to you when i was at trenton and i sent it by A.M. Reasons and i sent 4 chinkapins in it to the children and i wat [want] you to write to me whether you ever got it or not. i have got my cloes that you sent me and i was mity glad to get them and i want you to make me one more pair of wool pants and send them to me by the first good chance you have. if you dont get a good chance ceep them till i come. i think that i will get to come home after while. if i dont i will think mity hard. though we are put on mity tite i am verry well satisfid hear yet though i want to see you and the children mity bad. if any of you gets sick i want you to write to me jest as soon as you can and i will try to come home. i want you to take good cear of your hogs and cattel and your horse and i will take cear of my money and we will do the best we can. tell all the connection to write me and i want you to write soon and i want you to write how many loads of corn you all made and how you get along picken out cotton and you must write all the news shore. tell John Countiss and John Foster to write to me and all the rest of the connection tell Harriot and Jeny howdy for me. Elizabeth i want you to get a long with Jeny and all the rest as well as you can. i want you to tell the children howdy for me and receive a large portion for your self. i want you to write me jest as soon as you get this letter without fail. so i must come to a close by saying you must remember your affectionate husband until death.
W.C. Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel good by dear wife and children till we meet again.
When you back your letters back it in this way

To Mr W. C. Grizzel in the cear of
Captin W.A. Sumner Sons of the South of the 4th Ridgement Miss Volintiers

[A.M. Reasons – 3rd Lieut. Co F 4th MS]
[M.V. Reagan – 3rd Cpl Co F 4th MS]
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Fort Henry December the 6th 1861 Dear Father i thought i wrote anuff but i will write to you to let you no that M.C. Moorman and the boys got hear safe last night and thay brout me my things all safe you sent me. i was mity glad to get them and thay braut me a letter which give me grate satisfaction to hear from you all and to heare you was all well. pap i got my whiskey and it come in a good time shore for i was on guard last night. we had [on?] an l___y last might [night?] and every man to a [man sick] and well was out and in line in quic__ time shore. i was orn duty and i made ____ a bout it. we had a heep of fun a bout it to day. tell Jorge that he out [ought] to have bin hear to see the negrs run and hide. pap you nee [need] not minde a bout that paper and whiskey i wrote to you in this letter. i want you to take this letter over to Elizabeth and let her see it and tell her to be shore to write to me and you must write too and write all the news. i will come home when i wrote if i can get off and then i can tell you a heep more than i can write. so no more but remember your son til death
William C. Grizzel
To Elam S. Grizzel (the letter was continued on the back) pap tell Elizabeth to make me a little pocket out of Janes cloth and send to me to put my [needles] and thred in and tell her to send me some thred in it. i hante got no way to ceep my needel from rusting [unless I use] it pretty oftin. this morning is the 7th and i can inform you that i got my quilt [and] pants and paper last night and i [was] mity glad to get them. you need not [se]nd me any thing more for i have got [a]s mutch as i want onley that pocket to put my needels in. i will send all this to you. it is all mixed up so i dont no whether you can make any sence out of it or not though i hante got time to write any more now. write and tell Elizabeth to write shore
W.C. Grizzel
To E.S. Grizzel

[M.C. Moorman Co F 4th MS]
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Fort Henry January the 4th 1862 Dear wife and children i take the opportunity of writing you a nother letter which i hope will reach you and finde you all well. this leaves me verry unwell. i have bin rite porley for some time. i have not bin on duty for 10 or 12 days. i was taken with a verry b[ad] cold and then taken the chils. i h[ave] _____ chils and [several lines missing] mutch like it this eavening. i have them every other day. i wish i could be at home with you though i am sorry to tell you that i cant be with you. thay have stoped ferlowing intierly until further orders and i dont expect to get to come home until my time is out unless thay commence ferlowing a gain. if thay do i will try to come home so you must do the best you can until ___________ get to come home be for my time is out i will come then if i am a live and thanks be to god i yet be leive that i will be spaired to live out my 12 months and get back and enjoying my self with you and the children. it is not worth while to greve nor studey a bout it. you must do the best you can. well Father and Mother Ray i can tell you some news. i met up with one of your nephews up hear at fort henry. his name is Dunkin. he is a son of David Dunkin. he is the second son. his name is Franklin [Dunkin]. i beleive he lives in Calaway County in Kaintuckey. ___ he is pedling on tobacco and he come over [to se]ll the soldiers some tobacco and i found ____ to [ta]lk mutc[h] ______ [wa]s sic[k] and it w[a]s lat[e in the] eavning and he said he would go out in the settlement and stay all night and come back next morning and i thought i would talk with him a heep though he did not come back though he will be apt to come round again in 2 or 3 weeks and if he does i will finde out a heep more a bout him. he has 8 children 4 boys and 4 girls. if i mistake not he had 2 sons in the arm[y] ____ one of them was taken a prisner and he is at Piduca now. his son had Joined a Cavilary Co and thay was Jes a cross the river from us when thay was taken. thair was 8 in the squad when thay was taken. his son that was taken has a famely and the old man had got them at his house. i did not ask him if any one of his daughters was married or not. at the time of the captier of the prisners thay taken 2 of the old mans horses bridels and saddels and something else and i have fergot what it was. the way thay come to get the horses thair was a youn[g] man in the company that went up____ on ferlow and [several lines missing] Dunkin ________ to ride back to his Company that knight after he got back thay was taken prisners and his son was on the oather one. the old man says his father is dead and his mother is married a gain and is liveing in texes. if i get to see him any more i will try to finde out a heep more a bout him. he done me a grate faver. he give me a dollar and 40cts worth of the finest kind of tobacco. he was the best friend to me i have met with since i left home. he lives in [14?] miles of fort henry. Elizabeth i have wrote 3 or 4 letters to you and your pap and mother and i have not got narry one from you since you and margaret sent that one by Langston while you was at paps. i sent you one by mail the last time and i will send this by hand and i want you to write to me as soon as you get this and let me no whether you gote it or not and you must write all the news and write about your hogs and cattle and a bout your salt and every thing elce. you must write to me if you got your poetry i sent you. i want _______ the children ever talks about [severl lines missing] worst in the world though i cant come. un less thay get to ferlowing a gain you need not look for. i will tell you how to back your letters and if you will bock them as i tell you thay will come shore. so no more at this time though remember you loveing husband until death.
William C. Grizzel
To Elizabeth Grizzel
write soon with out fail and tell me all the news
William C. Grizzel Fort Henry Tenissee in the cear of
Captin W.A. Sumners 4 ridgement Miss volinteers by the way of Danville

[Two Langstons in Co F 4th MS – F.M. and Mat]
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The State of Miss this September the 12th 1862 Dear wife and children i will write you a few lines to let you no that i have got back in the land of Dixie a gain and i feel as proud as a bird let out [of] a caige. i am not verry w[ell] though. i think it is from the fertigue of our trip. i hope this will finde you all well. i want to see you all so bad in cant hardley stand it. i will come home as soon as we all get together and get our pay though it may be 3 or 4 weeks though i cant tell we are so scatter and tourn up that it will take some time to get every thing fixed up. since i have got in to our land i find every thing so hy that it is impossable to get any clothing. i want you to fix me some clos a gains i come home for i am out of clos. i Shal come home as soon as i can and then i can tell you all a bout every thing. i cant write verry mutch at this time. i want to see you so [b]ad it dont sime like i can content my self. so no more at this time. you must write to me as soon as you get this and let me no how you are all getting a long. meaby i can get a letter from you before i get to come home. you must send this letter to pap and let him see it and tell him to write as soon as he can. so fair well.
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children

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Jackson Miss this Sept the 18[th] 1862 Dear wife and children and all the rest. i will write you a few lines to let you no that i am not verry well though i am up an a bout. i think it is cola that taken on the boat and since i got hear we are Jest staying hear doing nothing at all. though our officers came in yesterday and i think we will do something in a few days. some say thay think we will get to come home and some says that we wont so i dont no how it will turn out. i will come home as soon as i get my money if thair is any chance. Elizabeth i want to see you and the children so bad it dont seam like i can wait any longer though i want to get my money if i can. i aint worth while for me to try to write every thing for i could not write all the news in a week. if i get to come home _____ tell you all a bout it. i want one pair of pants and one shirt and one pair drawers one pair of socks. you need not send them to me if i get to come home. i can get them and if i dont you can send them to me after while. i do with out them for a while yet i have go 2 soots sutch as they are though i make out with them for a while. i want you to write to me and let me no how you are all getting a long and what sort of crops you have got. i want you [to] tell me all the news. when i write to you i write to your pap and mother. i want to see you all so bad it dont seme like i can stand it mutch longer. i will write more next time i write if i dont get to come home. tell my sweet children howdy for me. tell Sary i have got her a ring and a brest pin and tell Elam and Tomey that i have got them a knife a peace. tell them to be good children. So i will come to a closes. thair is my baby i want to se[e bit or hit] and see if it is as pretty as as sweet as the rest of the children. So nomore at this time. you must write to me with out fail
W.C. Grizzel
To my loveing Wife and children

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Ponchatula Lous Nov 14th 1862 Dear wife and children i will write you a few lines to let you no that i an well and i got hear safe and sound and i went _______ i went to the curnel and he said i had come as soon as he looke for me and every thing went on well. the boys has not draud any more money. thay sure looking to draw in a few days. Elizabeth the day next _________ [half page missing] since i have bin hear and see the prospects of this [spring?] i think you had better get pap to by that filey if you are willing. you can do jest as you please though i think that she would be worth more than the money. you had better get some molasses this winter if you can. for thay will be cheaper than to by _______. i think _______ [rest of letter is missing]

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Vicksburg 19th 1863 Dear wife and children and mother. I will write you a few lines to let you no that i am well at this time hoping this may reach you and finde you all well. I can tell you that I got yourn and your mothers letter you wrote to me and I was mity glad to hear from you and I was mity glad to think you had got so you could write for your self. you wanted to no if I could read your letter. I can read it verry well. I want you to write often and you will ceep your self in practice. I want you to get so you can write your own letters and then I can hear from you a heep oftener. I am glad to hear you are moveing home to your self. i think you will see a heep more satisfaction you can have all your things to your self and you can take a heep better cear of your hogs and cattel and you must be shore to set out them peach trees in the garden and set out all that is large a nuff and take al good cear of your stock as you can. I am a fraid you cant do any good a trying to make a crop an you can make more to pay good attention to your hogs and cows than any other way. I want you to not suffer for meet and bread as long as you have any money and can get it. I have sent you some money and I will send you some more by pap and I will send you all the money I can get. thair is some more still coming to me yet I recon I will get it in a short time as soon as thay can make out thair pay rolls and I will send it all home and you can use it as you please. I dont want you to suffer for any thing as long as you have money and can get any thing. you wrote that you had the land note and I want you to tair mine and John Fosters names off of it and take good cear of the note and the land deed. dont let them get lost. I want to see you all mity bad but i dont no when I can get to come home. I want you all to do the best you can as you have to act man and woman both. tell your mother I want her to write to me as often as she can and I want you to write to me every week and I will do the same for I love to hear from you. I was glad to hear the baby could walk. tell all the children howdy for me and tell them I haint fergot them yet and I love you all. so I will come to a close for this time. so I remain your loveing husband until death god bless your sweet soles I haint fergot you yet nor never shal I. wish I could see you all and be with you a while
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children
I will write you a coppy of the letters for you to practice writing and write to me often as you can.

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Vicksburg Miss March the 22nd 1863 Dear wife and children. I embrace the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you no that I am well hoping this may reach you and finde you all well. I got your letter you sent by mr Lowry and I was mity glad to hear from you and the children and to hear you was all well. you wrote to no if we got any more to eat than I did. we get plenty now. we get pork and bacon now and thay have plenty of it on hand at this time though if you can I want you to send me some butter and eggs for we cant get them hear for less than 2 dollars a dozen and 2 dollars a ______ for butter and I want _________ and I _____ som[e] of ______ mity bad. _____ I dont want you to make me no close but I want you to send me 2 pair of cotton pants to wair this summer. I will send my woll pants home. I sent you a letter and a water bucket and my woll shirt by Mr. [Donor?]. I had to pay 3 dollars for the bucket. you said you could not plow ball. I told you that you could not plow him. you get Mr. George to plow him 2 or 3 days and whip him and get him started and maby you can plow him. the last time I had the hatchet was down at the lower end of your mothers wheet patch it is sticking in the fence a bout half way between the cross fence and the bars [at] the lower end. that is the last place I recolect of haveing it. if it is thair George noes whare it is. I want you to write to me as often as you can for I want to hear from you as often as I can. tell your Mother and all the children howdy and tell George howdy and tell him to [drive?] a head with his work and try to make a good crop. I will have to quit writing for want of more rome [room?]. so I remain you loveing husband until death
W.C. Grizzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel

To Mrs. Elizabeth Grizzel by the politeness of Mr Lowery

[There was a John Darroh in Co F 4th MS]
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Vicksburg Miss April the 12th 1863 Dear wife and children. i will write you a few lines to let you [know] how I am getting a long. I am not well. I have bin verry porley ever since Mr Lowery was hear. I had a verry [tite?] shell though I have bin up & a bout for some time but I hante bin abell for duty yet nor I dont no when I will be abel. I am so week I cant hardley get a bout. I am in nearly such a fix as I was last fall when I went home but thair is no chance for me to come home. I dont beleive I ever will get well as long as I stay at this place. thair is some talk of our leaving hear but I dont no whare we will go if we go at all. I want to [leave?] hear let us go whare we will. this makes 3 letters I have wrote to you since I have got one from you. I want you to take to writing to me. you must often for I hardley ever get to her [hear?] from you. when you write I want you to all a bout your wheet and fruit hogs and cows and chickens and gees and how every thing is geting a long. I heard Curt has got home. tell him to write to me and tell hime to some and see me if he can. I want to see him mity bad. tell uncle Jame[s,] Jo and Ben is gone up on deer creek and I dont no whare thay are. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter. we will draw money in a few days and I will send it home as some as I get a chance and if the yanks ever gets down in our settelment a gain you take your money and put it in a dry bottel and stop it tite and berry the bottel in the ground so thay cant finde it. if thay do thay will take it write soon with out fail. tell your Mother to send me a bottel of honey by the first chance and send me some butter and unions [onions] and beats if you get a chance. if you have any old unions [oinions] send me some of them. so no more at this time. I feel so bad I cant write mutch. so I remain your loveing husband until death. tell all the children howdy for me.
W.C. Girzzel To
Elizabeth Grizzel and children

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Jackson Miss May the 10th 1863 Dear father I will write you a fee [few] lines to let you no how I am. I am verry porley. I feel some better to day though it is all I can do to set up to write. I have got to the hospittel hear at Jackson. it is a mity nice place and I have mity good attention paid to me. I want you to come and see me if you can. I think if you was hear you could get me home and if you could not you could stay a week with me you could fetch some meet___lived and stay a week or two and not cost you any thing at all. if you do come when you get to the depo go write strait up to the State house and then turn write north and inquire for the blind Asilome. it is near leg a half write north of the State house. come if you can and come as soon as you can
W.C. Grizzel
E.S. Grizzel

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The day after these letters were posted to the Calhoun County MSGenweb board, the following e-mail was received. It and the follow-up have been included with permission from the author.

I would like for you to put me in touch with Michael Caviness. I am a great grand daughter of William C. Grizzel. I have 7 original letter from William E. to wife Elizabeth and children.
Camp Younion Sept 27 1861;
Fort Henry Jan 7, 1862;
Vicksburg Dec. 7 1862;
Vicksburg Dec., 8 1862;
Vicksburg Jan 4, 1863;
Vicksburg Feb 1, 1863;
Vicksburg April 22, 1863.

Would like very much to exchange copies of letters with him. Also to know his relationship.

Much appreciation for your assistance.

Dorothy Grizzle Hodges
Route 2, Box 87
Floydada, Tx 79235-9645
806-697-2625
[email protected]

I replied that Michael and I wondered what happened to Mr. Grizzell and Ms. Hodges sent the following information:

William C. Grizzel died in the hospital at Jackson. This is reported on the last muster roll file. It gives date of last paid Mar 1 1863.

I have not been able to locate his grave but perhaps someday it will be noted. I have not been to the Jackson area but I did check out the memorial in Vicksburg and I did not find his name.

If you did not notice, both sets of letters are now combined on a separate page. To see the combined letters, click below! COMBINED LETTERS